[Pollard]

Hey, it's time to start on the Fall garden already. I was late last year so I figured I'd give the spreadsheet a glance. I'm late again already LOL.

Anything with (TP) is transplant date and can be started in trays 4 weeks prior. Not sure why lettuce, kale and Asian greens are direct sow.

Brussel Sprouts and storage cabbage, I'm 6 weeks late, minus 2 weeks for a closed in tunnel. I can't grow any heading or cluster forming brassica here until I raise my pH anyway though. Collards - it's time and I do have some seeds. Need to log the temp in the shed to see how hot it's getting in there and do it with the grow lights on since they generate a bit of heat.

Carrots in a couple of weeks and never had luck with them so I guess I'll check out Whiz Bang guys method as per Pete.

[metmom]

I do carrots in a sand/peat mix with some fertilizer in buckets. Mr. mm cut the bottoms off some generic white 5 Gal plastic buckets so they’re about 12” high and O fill those in the spring and sow the seeds in there.

The first year I had such a good crop, they were so tightly packed in that I could hardly get them out.

Last year was nothing until I learned that carrot seeds MUST BE kept moist until they germinate and are well on their way. So I did that this year and have four buckets going.

I want to plant another couple for a fall harvest.

[Paul R.]

For those near a Menards, OUR Menard’s had a big surplus of 6-pack starter plants yesterday. Mostly tomatoes, but some peppers, etc., too. All on “unadvertised sale”. I’ll say - they are in many cases outgrowing their 6-packs anyway, and at this time of the season, I’m not sure how Menards will sell them all! In our area, people replacing drowned plants may help with that. I nearly bought some really strong looking Celebrity toms, but, I don’t really have a place for everything. Heck, I still have some plants in small containers.

The one 6-pack tomato variety I noticed Menards was out of was Mortgage Lifters. Apparently buyers really scarfed them up. Some 4” pots were out too, including the Golden Jubilees.

Mortgage Lifters - at least the ones from the 6-pack I bought, are interesting. If cramped (very small starter pot) they just sit there and don’t grow, but do not look unhealthy, get spindly, etc. Given a large pot and lots of sunlight and nutrients, they grow well, tho’ seemingly not as fast as some other varieties. Granted that even the latter have had that long, cool rainy spell to deal with. I’ll be curious to see if they really “take off” in these very warm, generally sunny conditions.

Also curiously, the Ichiban Eggplant I kept in a large pot on the “north” side / mostly shaded side of the house is doing great - in fact, I’ve never had an eggplant grow so well. I’m guessing that in the past they were getting too much sun and heat, as I planted them in the “best sun” portion of the garden. ???

I have a second Ichiban Eggplant that was doing almost as well in that same location, now in a “2/3 sun” spot in my secondary garden area. So far, so good, tho’ IIRC it’s only been there 5 days. It will be interesting to see how it compares. I hit both with bloom booster this morning - time for these puppies to produce.

I moved all the “Black Beauty” eggplants to the 2/3” location after looking sad and yellowish in the main (sunnier) garden area. That was about 2 weeks ago. They are greening up and looking better, contrary to “instructions” to have them in full sun. Go figure.

Lastly, my one “doing well” Opo (it is the only one I potted - my bad - the others evidently drowned) is already producing female flowers. Apparently, an early start with the Bloom Booster and a little extra Super Phosphate did the trick. Last year IIRC I was near the end of July before I got female flowers — but, I only added Bloom Booster in early June (I think) and didn’t start the Super Phosphate until early July or so, after the Bloom Booster produced many male flowers, but no girls.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

I enjoyed the Fall gardening plan for Winslow Maine, given by Johnny's Selected Seeds.
It gives a good 'heads up' for anticipating Fall planing.
It tool me a while but I found Winslow Maine is in Zone 4b: -25°F to -20°F (Winter Temps).
Now I only need to adjust for my zone, 6b.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

When we get there, repost the list to the July thread.

I have tomatoes, pepper, sweet potatoes, a couple of watermelon and some volunteer pumpkins. There really is not much room for anything else.